Apparatus for heating, cooling, or otherwise treating liquids in bottles or containers



Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,393

A. G. ENOCK APPARATUS FOR HEATING, coouue, OR OTHERWISE TREATING LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES OR CONTAINERS Filed July 15. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 1 HCi ooooooooo OOOOOQOOOOOODOOOOOOO f\ g I OOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOO 000 0000 000 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O J Fig.1.

INVENTUH. FEB. (2mm 90 5mm OufLLe/wOfl if li I Nov. 15, 1927.

ENOCK COOLING, OR OTHERWISE A. G. RATUS FOR HEATING,

7 9% I: 3 T J I l HC2 D j C T 3 I i 3 f I )fi Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,393

G. EN K APPARATUS FOR H IN CO NG, OR OTHER E TREATING LIQUIDS I 0 ES 0 ONTAINE Filed July l9 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.5. 3:; Fig.6. K

Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR GUY ENOCK, OF HAILSHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 BURLECTAS LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

.AIE'IEARA'III'US FOR HEATING, COOLING, OR OTHERWISE TREATING LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES OR CONTAINERS.

Application filed July 15, 1926, Serial No. 122,721, and'in Great Britain August 19, 1925.

The invention relates to apparatus in which milk or other liquid may be Pasteurized by being heated for a predetermined time and cooled after being bottled in separate bottles or containers instead of in bulk.

The apparatus comprises a series of tanks or chambers maintained at different tem peratures, travelling conveyors in each by which the bottles or containers are traversed through the tank orchamber in a predetermined period of time, heating or cooling pipes to maintain the chambers at the desired temperature and means by which to remove the bottles or containers from one chamber to another.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is, a longitudinal section of one form of the invention showing the bottles or crates carried by slat conveyors through an apparatus with three tiers, holding, cooling and chilling chamber placed one above the other.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan through the holding chamber.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan through the coolingchamber. y

Fig. 4 is a-sectional plan through the chilling chamber.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of return-endpiece for single bottles.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of same.

Fig. 7 is a plan of same.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation showing the bottles carried in metal containers.

Fig. 9 is a plan of same.

The apparatus is constructed with two or more chambers or holders? HC H0 HG through which the bottles after being filled and capped are caused to travel an upright position at such a speed that they are retained in each chamber for a predetermined length of time. The three chambers are maintained at different temperatures in which the bottles are successively heated,

cooled and chilled. The holding chamber HC isclosed and filled with hot air, the air being heated and maintained ata constant temperature of say about 146 F. by coils G containing steam and hot water which may be provided with a thermostatic control valve. (not shown) to automatically regulate the temperature of the chamber. 7

The cooling chamber HC is supplied with water drawnfrom awell or town supply at a normal temperature of say below F. There are two ways of applyin the cooling or chilling water-to the bot-t es:(a) by filling the tank and immersing the bottles therein to within half an inch orso of the top or (b). by placing the bottles in sheet metal crates into which water constantly flows as the crates travel through the chamber. The chilling chamberl-IC is supplied with water or brine maintained at a temperature at or near 32 .F. by. means of refrigeratmg coils J containing cold brine,

refrigerating vapour or other cooling medium pumped through them.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7 the chambers H0 and HC and HG are superposed and each fitted with two sets of slat conveyors travelling from end to end, one set in one direction and the other set in the opposite direction, upon which the bottles or circular containers are placed. In the holding chamber HC the conveyors B and B travel horizontally in the direction of the arrows and a similar conveyor A travels transversely at one end and a conveyor A at the other end of the chamber. At the end of each pair of conveyors B, B a return end piece B is formed preferably fitted with balls or rollers C to reduce friction on to which'the bottles from the slat conveyors are delivered. The cooling chamber HO and the chilling chamber H0 are fitted with similar slat conveyors B and B and return end pieces B (Figs. 3 and 4;).

The slat conveyors B and B in all three chambers are driven by sprocket wheels or other suitable means, running on shafts N and O placed across the various chambers under the return-end pieces B. Where the conveyors are driven by single sprocket wheels each alternate wheel L runs loose chamber and the conveyors moving in the other direction being driven by sprockets on a shaft 0 at the other end of the chamber. The alternate wheels running looseon shafts actas guide-wheels for the slat conveyors at thesepoints. Where conveyors are driven by two or more sprockets, there are two or more fixed wheels, alternating with two or more loose wheels to provide for driving the conveyors in opposite directions as described. The filled bottles or circular containers are placed on the transverse conveyor A which carries them through an aperture at A into the holding chamber on to the first longitudinal conveyor B into the return end piece B, the bottles as they are delivered there press against one another and force them round on to the next conveyor B and so on until they have traversed backwards and forwards through the chamber remaining therein any predetermined period of time according to the speed at which the conveyors are driven.

As the bottles reach the opposite side of the holding chamber H6 they are delivered on to a conveyor D sloping downwards along the end or side of the chamber downward and round a return end piece D into the cooling chamber HC Where they are immersed in the water therein to within about half an inch of the top of the neck. The bottles are conveyed in a similar manner by the conveyors B B therein through the cooling chamber H6 After passing through this chamber the bottles are forced on to another conveyor E sloping upward and then downward by which they are ried into the chilling chamber HO where they are immersed in the water therein and carried through it in a similar manner to a rising conveyor F which brings them up out of the liquid and delivers them to the bottle outlet at F where they are passed to a delivery conveyor or crating table.

In both the cooling chamber HC and the chilling chamber H0 the slat conveyors and return-end-piec-es are fitted with galvanized steel or other metal plates K on their sides and underneath so as to form a water duct for the passage of the cool or chilled water.

The cooling chamber HC is provided with a circulation of cold water from a well or town supply which enters the slat conveyor at the points such as H where the bottles leave the cooling chamber. The water then circulates toward the oncoming bottles and passes round the return-en'd-pieces to and fro flowing against the oncoming line of hottles and finally finding its way out at the point where the bottles enter upon the slat conveyor. In the larger apparatus this water circulation may be divided into several circuits.

The refrigerating coils J of the chilling chamber HC may be placed below the conveyors as shown and the chilled water circulated by a propeller or a pump with suitable distributing headers, in such a way that the water when warmed by the milk bottles, is rapidly cooled down again, passing in a counter-flow against the oncoming line of bottles. In some cases, however, I prefer to place the cooling coils outside the chilling chamber and to circulate the chilled water over themin a suitable manner.

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9 instead of traversing the bottles along singly several may be packed into and carried in sheet metal containers R which are provided with a small drain hole S. 'The cooling or chilling water is fed through a header pipe T runnin alongside the conveyors in the cooling anc chilling chambers having outlets U which deliver the water into the containers as they pass along, the water draining out of the drain hole S and thence falling back into the tank.

WV hat I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for Pasteurizing milk or other liquid in bottles comprising three superimposed chambers a plurality of parallel horizontal slat conveyors in each chamber to traverse the bottles, sprocket wheels by which the conveyors are driven, a shaft at each end of each chamber onwvhich the sprocket wheels are mounted, alternate wheels on each shaft being keyed thereto whilst the other alternate wheels are loose thereon, the shaft at one end of a chamber being driven in the reverse direction to that at the other end, dead plates at the ends of each conveyor and guide plates to direct the bottles from one conveyor over the dead plate on to an adjacent conveyor travelling in the reverse direction, an inclined slat conveyor between the first and second chambers and an inclined slat conveyor between the second and -third chambers by which the bottles are transferred from one chamber to the next, means for retainingeach chamber at a predetermined temperature and means for driving the conveyors at a predetermined speed so that the bottles remain in each chamber for a definite predetermined time.

2. Apparatus for Pasteurizing milk or other liquid in bottles comprising three suill) perimposed chambers, a plurality of parallel' horizontal endless slat conveyorsin each chamber to traverse the bottles therethrough, temporary containers in which a plurality of bottles are placed'for traversing through the chambers, sprocket wheels by which the conveyors are driven, a shaft at each end of each chamber on which the sprocket wheels are mounted, alternate wheels on each shaft being keyed thereto whilst the other alternate wheels are loose thereon, the shaft at one end of a chamber being driven in the reverse direction. to that at the other end, dead plates at the ends of each conveyor and guide plates to direct the bottle containers from one conveyor over the dead plate on to an adjacent conveyor travelhng in the reverse direction, an inclined slat conveyor between the first and second chambers and an inclined slat conveyor between the second and third chambers'by which the bottle containers are transferred from one chamber to the next, means for re taining each chamber at a predetermined different temperature and means for driving the conveyors at a predetermined speed so that the bottles remain in each chamber for a definite predetermined time.

3. Apparatus for Pasteurizing milk or other liquid in bottles, comprising three superimposed chambers, a plurality of parallel horizontal slat conveyors in each chamber to traverse the bottles therethrough, sprocket wheels by which the conveyors are driven, a shaft at each end of each chamber on which the sprocket wheels are mounted, alternate wheels on each shaft being keyed thereto Whilst the other alternate wheels are loose thereon, the shaft at one end of a chamber being driven in the reverse direction to that at the other end, anti-friction stationary surfaces at the ends of each conveyor and guide plates to direct the bottles from one conveyor over the anti-friction surfaces on to an adjacent conveyor travelling in the reverse direction, metal troughs surrounding the sides and bottom of each conveyor and dead plates to form ducts for the passage of fluid for maintaining the chamber at the predetermined temperature, an inclined slat conveyor between the first and second chambers and an inclined slat conveyor between the second and third chambers by which the bottles are transferred from one chamber to the next, means for retaining each chamber at a predetermined temperature and means for driving the conveyors at a predetermined speed so that the bottles remain in each chamber for a definite predetermined time.

4. Apparatus for Pasteurizing milk or other liquid in bottles comprising three superimposed chambers, a plurality of parallel horizontal slat conveyors in each chamber' to traverse the bottles therethrough, sprocket wheels by Which the conveyors are driven, a shaft at each end of each chamber on which the sprocket wheels are mounted, alternate wheels on each shaft being keyed thereto whilst the other alternate wheels are loose thereon, the shaft at one end of a chamber being driven in the reverse direction to that at the other end, dead plates at the ends of each conveyor and guide plates to direct the bottles from one conveyor over the dead plate on to an adjacent conveyor travelling in the reverse direction, an inclined slat conveyor between the first and second chambers and an inclined slat conveyor between the second and third chambers by which the bottles are transferred from one chamber to the next, coils in the uppermost chamber through which fluid is passed to heat the chamber to a predetermined temperature, coils in the middle chamber to keep this chamber at a predetermined lower temperature to cool the bottles and coils in the third chamber to maintain it at'freezing point to chill the bottles.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR GUY ENOCK. 

